Twisting-machine.



W. F. SMITH. TWISIING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-17.1916.

1 %fi3 %?@w Patented Apr. 23, 1918,

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TWISTING MACHINE.

APPLICATiON FlLED JAN-17.19M-

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W. F. SMITH.

TWISTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 17. 1916.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. F. SMITH.

TWISTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. l9l6.

Patented Apr. 23. 1918.

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"limi -1mm. 1E. WHITE, T, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERNELECTRIC @WTWMT, JUMUUWUMTJEJD, UFN 151W YORK, N. W1, A CORPORATTUN 015NEW YORK.

TWISTTN G-MACHTN 1E.

Specification oi Letters Patent. Patented hpr. 23 liwllfiw applicationfiled January 17, rate. serial it o. M493.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that T, Wnnmir E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Twisting-Machines, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. V

This invention relates to twisting machines, and more particularly tomachines for forming a plurality of tinsel threads into a strandedconductor for use in telephone or switchboard cords.

Reference is hereby made to my copending application, Serial No.148,273, filed Feb. 112, 1917, which is'a division of this applicationand which claims subject-matter disclosed herein but not claimed herein.

@ne object of this invention is to produce a machine for stranding aplurality of tinsel threads into a symmetrical flexible conductor insuch a manner that any strain or stress applied to the conductor isuniformly and equallydistributed over the several threads, whereby theconductor life is greatly improved.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for automaticallystopping the rotation of the twisting head immediately in case a tinselthread breaks or slackens. This may comprise a mechanical trippingdevice for disengaging a friction clutch within one revolution of thetwisting head.

This invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying draw- -m%, in whichigure1 is a side elevation of a twisting machln'e embodying this invention;

liig. 2is a plan view of the twisting head with parts broken away toshow the tensionequallzing and adjustln means;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the machine showing the driving members,"

-4L is a sectional view on line H of Fig. 3,- p

Fig. 5 is a view of the main driving shaft and associateparts; and.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the twisting head.

Referring to Fig. l. of the drawings, 10, 11

and 12 arevcrtical frame members of the twisting machine. Members 11 andT2 are connected near the top of the machine by a known construction, asshown in Fig. 3.

On the twisting head 15 and close to the periphery thereof is mounted anumber of spool supports or spindles for carrying spools or bobbins 21.The spindles 20 are journaled in ball-bearings 22 and 23 of anywell-known construction. U11 the sides of the spindles are springmembers 24, which press against the inner peripheries of spools 21 forholding them in place and against rotation relative to the spindle uponwhich they are mounted.

At the center of the twisting head is an auxiliary frame 25 withoutwardly extending arms 26, near the ends of which are secured, bymeans of screws 27, wheels 28 having two grooves ineach of theperipheries thereof. Just below and in alinement with each wheel 28 is agrooved wheel 29 secured to a vertical plunger 30 by means of screw 31.The vertical plunger 30 passes through an opening in the frame 15 andauxilia frame 25, and is normally so held that the lower end of theplunger is flush with the frame 15 at the opening therethrough. To eachof the spindles 20 between ball-bearings 22 and 23 is secured a sleeve32 having an annular groove 33 therein. A circular belt 34 passes aroundthe spindles and in grooves 33 for applying the necessary tension to thetinsel threads. To each endof the belt 3a is ri 'dly secured a metal tipor socket 35, whic is pivotally secured, by means of screw 36,to'equalizing links 37 pivotally supported on block 38, which is adaptedto slide on threaded rod 39 It willbe seen that with the ends of thebelt held in a definite fixed position, the rotation of the spindleswould raise the flexible block 40 and imparts a-longitudina'l movementthereto which forces compression spring 41 against block 38, which inturn, through the equalizing links 37, draws the belt 34 tighter aroundthe spindles. It will,

therefore, be seen that by the turning of a single member 39, thetension on the belt may be easily and readily adjusted.

Fig. 3 shows in section the transmission system for rotating thetwisting head 15. The main driving shaft 42 carries a sprocket wheel 43,a friction clutch, Fig. 4, and a bevel gear 45. The bevel gear 45 mesheswith bevel car 46, which is keyed to shaft 47. To sha t 47 is also keyedgear 48 which meshes with pinion 49, which in turn meshes with gear 50,which is secured to the twisting head 15.

The friction clutch shown in Figs. 3 and 4 consists of two semi-circularexpansible members 51 and 52, which are held out of engagement with theinner periphery of cylinder 53, when the machine is not in operation, bymeans of contractile springs 54 and The ends of expansible members 51and 52 have beveled surfaces adapted to receive wedge-shaped blocks. 56and 57. Links 58 and 59 at one end engage the wedge-shaped blocks 56 and57, and at the other end engage extensions 60 and 61 of annular member.62, which is slidably mounted on shaft 42 and keyed thereto to rotatetherewith. By sliding the annular member 62 alon shaft 42 so that. theV-shaped blocks 56 an 57 are forced outwardly, the expansible members 51and 52 are forced into engagement with the inner periphery of thecylinder 53.

Annular member 62 has an annular groove therein, into which is inserteda ring 63. To ring 63 is ivotally attached by means of screws 64 an 65,a clutch arm 66 which is bifurcated at one end to receive the rim 63.The other end of the clutch arm 66 is pivotally secured to a link 67,which is in turn pivotally secured to an arm 68. The opposite end of arm68 is connected by means of a contractile sprin 69 to the clutch arm 66at a point interme iate of its connection with link 67 and its fulcrum70, at which it is pivotallygnounted on the frame of the machine. A r'm68 is rigidly secured to post 71. Arm 72 is also rigidly secured to post71. Tripping bar 73 is pivotally mounted on the frame 14 by means ofscrew 74 and engages arm 72 at 75. The tripping bar is normally held inengagement with arm 72 by means of contractile spring 76, which engagesarm 77 and tripping bar 73. It will be seen that The tinsel thread orfiller 80 is drawn from spool 79 around grooved pulley 83, up throughthe hollow spindle 18, thence through a tube 84 which passes through thecenteriof the auxiliary frame 25, and thence to the periphery of groovedwheel 85, at which point several threads of tinsel 86 are applied aroundthe filler. The tinsel threads 86 are drawn from spools 21 over andalong one groove of wheels 28, thence down and around grooved wheels 29,thence up and along the other groove of wheels 28 thence up to theperiphery of the grooved wheel 85, where they are formed around thefiller 80. From this oint the stranded conductor passes over an aroundgrooved wheel 87, thence back along another groove in wheel 85, andthence on to a suitable take-up device. Grooved wheels and 87 aremounted on the cross member 13 and are preferable to a bushing forforming tinsel threads into a stranded conductor, there being lesscuttin effect between the tinsel and rotatable wheels than between thetinsel and a bushing. The tinsel threads 86, in passing around groovedwheels 29, normally hold each of the plungers 30 against their own"weight, the weight of wheels 29 and the action of com ression springs88, so that the ends thereo are flush with the openings in the twistinghead 15, through which they pass.

Should any one of the tinsel threads, carried by the twisting head,break or slacken, the plunger 30 supported thereby falls to the1position shown in Fig. 6, and the end of t e plunger, extending belowits respective opening in the twisting head, is brought into engagementwith the tripping bar 73 within one revolution of the twisting head. Theengagement of the plunger 30 and the tripping ar 73 causes adisengagement of the tripping bar 73 and arm 72 at the point 75. At theinstant the tripping bar 73 and arm 72 disengage, tension spring 69acting through arm 68, link 67 and clutch-arm 66, causes the frictionclutch to release by withdrawing the expansible members 51 and 52 fromengagement with the inner periphery of the cylinder 53, thereb stoppingthe rotation of the twisting head? The friction clutch ma also bereleased manually by throwing andle 92, which meagre handle is looselymounted on shaft 71, in the direction X, thereby bringing contact 89into engagement with arm 77 at 90 and forcing tripping bar 73 out ofengagement with arm 72 through the medium of arm 77 and connecting link91.

After a broken thread has been repaired or an empty bobbin replaced by afull one, and the wheel 29 and lunger 30 raised to their normalpositions y passing the tinsel thread 86 around wheel 29, thetrippingbar 7 3 may be returned to its normal position, and the frictionclutch placed in operative position by turning the handle 92 in thedirection Y, thereby bringing arm 72 and tripping bar 7 3 intoengagement at 75.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a machine for twisting strands a tripping device, a revolublehead, a p urality of grooved wheels carried by said revoluble head andtraversed by the strands, means for regulating the tension of saidstrands, a plurality of plungers independent of said tensionmg meansnormally supported by the strands, and spring members fol-causing eachplunger to engage said tripping device for stopping the rotation of thehead upon breakage or slackening of the strand supporting said plunger.

2. In a twisting machine, a revoluble head, a plurality of strandscarried thereby, means for regulating the tension of said strands, aplurality of grooved wheels carried by the head and traversed by saidstrands, a plurality oi members carried by the head andnormallysupported by the strands, said members being independent of saidtensioning means, and a plunger carried by each of said members andadapted to separately engage said tripping device for stopping therotation of the head upon breakage or slackening of a strand.

3. In a twisting machine, a revoluble vhead, driving mechanismoperatively connected therewith, a plurality of strands carried by thehead, means for regulating the tension of said strands, a plurality ofgrooved wheels carried by said revoluble head and traversed by saidstrands, a tripping device adapted when actuated to disconnect thedriving mechanism, a plurality of members carried by the head andnormally supported by the strands, said members being independent ofsaid tensioning' means, and a plunger carried by each of said membersand adapted to engage said tripping device upon the slackening orbreaking of a strand.

4:. In a vtwisting machine, a revoluble head, driving mechanismoperatively connected therewith, a plurality of spools of strandscarried by the head, means for regulating the tension of said strands, atripping device adapted when actuated to dis connect the drivingmechanism, a plurality of grooved wheels carried by the head andnormally supported by the strands, and a plunger independent of saidtcnsioning means carried by each of said wheels and adapted to be heldout of engagement with the tripping device by the strands, theslackening or breaking of a strand causing the plunger supported therebyto engage and actuate the tripping device.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day ofJanuary, A. D.

WILLIAM F. SMITH.

